British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced the formation of a “coalition of the willing” to develop a peace plan for Ukraine, which will be presented to US President Donald Trump for his support. This announcement comes after a public dispute between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, which indicated a possible decline in Washington’s support for Kyiv.
In contrast, Zelenskyy received assurances of support from his European allies at a hastily arranged security summit in London, where he was greeted with a hug by Starmer. The meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy turned sour as it was broadcast live, with Trump cutting off Zelenskyy and accusing him of “gambling with World War III”. This incident followed a war of words between Trump and Zelenskyy, who cut short his visit to the US and sought support from Europe.
The concept of a “coalition of the willing” refers to a temporary international partnership aimed at resolving a specific issue or achieving a particular military or political goal. In this case, the coalition would devise a peace plan for Ukraine that offers security guarantees to Kyiv, while being acceptable to Trump, who has stated that the US or NATO will not provide any such security umbrella. The plan would uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty and ensure its involvement in negotiations, alongside continued military aid and bolstered defence capabilities in the event of a peace deal. Starmer also announced a new £1.6 billion deal with Ukraine, allowing Kyiv to purchase 5,000 air defence missiles.
The coalition will be composed of countries that voluntarily join, rather than a binding international body like the European Union or NATO. European leaders have not yet revealed the details of the peace plan. French President Emmanuel Macron suggested a one-month ceasefire, pausing sea and air attacks, as well as attacks on energy infrastructure, while France and the UK have indicated their openness to sending peacekeeping forces to Ukraine as part of any ceasefire.
Leaders or representatives from 12 European nations, along with delegates from the EU, Canada, Turkey, and NATO, joined Starmer at the security summit in London. Starmer’s announcement appears to have been prompted by the events at the White House, with Europe needing to step up its support for Ukraine’s peace process.
Ash, an associate fellow in the Russia and Eurasia programme at Chatham House, believes Starmer’s recent initiatives are a “good thing” as Europe and Ukraine were not involved in earlier peace negotiations between the US and Russia. He noted that for a peace deal to be sustained, Ukraine must continue receiving the weapons it needs, which was not discussed during the US-Russia peace talks.
While the coalition can create a peace plan, both Starmer and Zelenskyy have acknowledged the need for US backing in executing the potential plan. They have emphasized the importance of strong US support for peace in their continent to ensure success.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/3/russia-ukraine-war-whats-a-coalition-of-the-willing-europes-new-plan?traffic_source=rss
